Single to multiple file distributing mechanism



March 18, 1958 L. MOGIHON 2,827,149

SINGLE TO MULTIPLE FILE DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Filed July 6, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet'] IN V EN TOR.

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March 18, 1958 'L. MCGIHON 2,327,149

SINGLE I0 MULTIPLE FILE DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM Filed July 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. [ms 420 fi/c'wam SINGLE T MUL'IlPLE FEE DISTRIBUTEJG MECHANHSM Leonard McGihon, San Leandro, Qalifi, assignor to King Sales & Engineering Co., San Francisco, Calif, a corporation of California Application July 6, 1954, Serial No. 441,349

8 Claims. (Cl. 19%31) The present invention relates to the means for providing a plurality of files of articles such as containers from a single file thereof, so that a multiple file parallel feed can be obtained to a desired processing mechanism or mechanisms from a single file feed.

it is a general object of the invention to provide improved means for converting a single file feed of articles, such as containers for example, into a plurality of parallel discharge files.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the above character in which a control may be exerted so that a uniform number of articles or containers will be placed in each discharge file, or whereby a selected ratio can be maintained between a pair or more of adjacent discharge files.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the above character wherein the oncoming single file of containers, carried by a conveyor or other progressing means, forms the driving means for the multiple filing mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 2-2. in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Figure l, but showing the parts in a different position of operation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Figures 1 and 3 and illustrating a third position of the parts.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a feed modifying attachment.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a platform type conveyer it? which is suitably supported on side frame members 11, and may be driven by conventional means (not shown). For the purpose of the present in vention, it is sufficient to understand that the conveyer is driven to move in the direction of the arrows. A frame structure 12 is provided at either side of the conveyor, rising upwardly from the side frame members 11 there of, and providing a mounting for a suitable file dividing or separating mechanism which includes a pair of upright shafts 13 and 14 journalled in similar bearing units 16 formed in a cross frame structure 17 extending between the frame units 12. Adjacent their upper ends, the respective shafts 13 and 14 carry meshing gears 13, and above the gears 13 each shaft 13 and 14 carries re spective control cams 21 and 22 for a purpose later described. Below the frame structures 17 the shaft 13 carries a pair of spaced apart notched discs 23 and a similar pair of discs 24 are carried by the shaft id. Six container receiving recesses 26 of the discs 23 are formed between radial portions or fingers 27, and similarly six container receiving recesses or notches 28 of the discs 24 are formed between radial portions or fingers 29.

2,327,149 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 face The parts are arranged so that the recesses 26 of the discs 23 register with the projections 29 of the discs 24 and vice versa.

At the feed end of the mechanism a pair of guide rails 31 are secured in place above the conveyer 10 to guide the single file of containers or bottles 30 into the rotating discs, and these rails 31 have diverging portions 31a which terminate in straight portions 31b forming the outer rails of a series of parallel rails including two intermediate rails 32 and a center rail 33 forming four parallel discharge paths of movement for the containers 39.

Diverter control means is provided for each adjacent pair of discharge paths and this diverter control means is in the form of a pair of gates 36 and 37 mounted respectively at the lower ends of a shaft 38 and a sleeve 39 disposed about the shaft 38 and journalled in a suitable bearing 41. At its upper end, the shaft 33 carries a cam follower 42 and the sleeve 39 carries a similar cam follower 43 which are associated respectively with the cams 21 and 22 referred to above. Suitable springs 42a are provided for the cam followers 42 and 43 and extend therefrom to a cover plate 51. The cam 21 is slotted adjustable-mounting by means of screws 46 to its mounting collar 4-7 on the shaft 13 and the cam 22 is similarly adjustably connected to its mounting collar 48.

The cams 2 and 22 are similar in their outline, and the cam 21, for example, has a high portion 21a registering with three of the six recesses 26 in the discs 23 and low portion 21b registering with the other three recesses 26. Simila ly the cam 22 has a high portion 22:: registering with three of the recesses 28, and a low portion 22b registering with the other three recesses 28. The cam followers 42 and 43 and their associated gates 36 and 37 are urged against the respective cams 21 and 22 by the pressure of the containers 3% against the gates 36 and 37 and the springs 42a. The containers 30 form the drive for the unit by virtue of the urgency or push of the conveyer it} against the containers 30.

With the construction shown it will be appreciated that the containers are discharged as groups into the respective discharge paths, the selected group in the present instance being three in number. As shown in Figure l, the gate 37 has just released or fed three containers to the rightmost track and has been moved to position the gate 37 for delivery of the three next containers into the second track from the right. Similarly in Figure l, the gate 36 has just delivered three cans to the second discharge path from the left of Figure 1 and has just been positioned to deliver cans to the leftmost path, the containers to be delivered there occupying the poclo ets identified as A, B and C in Figure l.

in operation the single file of containers 3% between the straight portion of the rails 31 is urged in a continual stream against the convergence of the two sets of discs 23 and 2a and as seen in Figure 1, one container 30:: is being diverted by a projection 27 into the pocket 23 of the disc 24, and the next container 3% will be diverted by the projection 29 of the disc 24 into a pocket 26 of the disc 21. Thus alternate containers in the file are delivered successively to alternate pockets of the discs 23 and 2 2-.

The containers placed in the respective pockets of the discs 23 and Z4 drive these discs under the urgency of the conveyor it) and are delivered therefrom under control of the gates 36 and 37 as positioned by the control earns 21 and 22. As seen in Figure 3, the cam follower 12 is descending from the high portion 21a to the low portion Zlb of the cam 21, and the gate 36 is moving from alignment with an end of the rail or partition 32 to its other position in alignment with the rail 33. The

3 so that the gate 36 is in position todeliver to the sec nd row fromthe left and the gate 37 under control of its c m 22'remains in the position shown in Figure 3 and continues delivering containers to the rightmost discharge path.

It will be appreciated that by varying the circumferential length of the raised portions and the low portions 7 discharge therefrom, means forming a plurality of disof the cams 21 and 22,.selected groups of containers can be discharged into the respective paths as described, and if desired by more frequent operation of the cams 21 and 22 on the cam followers '42 and 43, successive containers could be discharged first into one discharge path andthen into the next and so on. Also byappropriate spacing of the raised portion and the lower portion as far as circumferential length is concerned, the proportion'o'f the containers discharged into the respective discharge paths. by a gate could be varied, for example,

to discharge four containers into the leftmost path and two containers into the next leftmost.

It will be seen, therefore, that the structure of the invention provides .a very flexible arrangement for controlling the separation of the single file of containers or other objects into a plurality or multiplicity of discharge paths, so that it is readily adaptable to various requirements in processing operations, for example as employed in canneries. tion, the modification is of course adapted to deliver the containers uniformly to all of the four discharge paths. It is equally obvious that placing an intermediate step or steps on the cams 21 and 22 so that the discharge gates could be made to occupy three position, instead of two, that appropriate discharge of the cans from a single file could be made into six paths rather than into four, and

7 further by appropriately varying the movement of the ment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of modification and variation from the form shown, so that the scope thereof should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 7 I claim:

1'. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism for articles such ascontainers, a pair 'of pocket units,

In the embodiment selected for illustraeach unit having an endless series of pockets therein and an endless series of article supporting fingers alternating .forming a single file feed path leading to said units,

whereby the fingers of one pocket unit place articles in the pockets of the other unit and vice versa, a distributing gate associated with each pocket unit to control the,

charge paths for association with said respective distributing gates, and cam control means rotatable with each' pocket unit for controlling the gate associated therewith to determine its position with respect to'the discharge paths associated therewith.

2. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism for articles such as containers, a pair of pocket units each unit having an endless series of pockets therein and an endless series of article supporting fingers alternating in position with respect'to said pockets, means mounting said pocket units for movement with a portion of their peripheries in approximate tangency, and with a pocket of one unit mating with a finger of the other unit, means forming a single file feed path leading to said units, whereby the fingers of one pocket unit place articles in the pockets of the other unit and vice versa, distributing means associated with each pocket unit to control the discharge therefrom into a plurality of discharge paths,

and cam control means rotatable with each pocket unit for controlling the distributing means associated there- 7 with to determine its position with respect to the discharge paths associated therewith. 1

3. A single to multiple file distributing mechanism as recited in claim 1 in which said distributing mechanism overlies a conveyer for said articles and in'which the conveyer to the articles furnishes the driving power for the pocket units. 7

4. In a single to multiple file. distributing mechanism for articles as recited in claim 1 in which the pocket units comprise recessed disc s.

5. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism for articles as recited in claim 1, in which the cam control means for each pocket unit has a portion related to a particular pocket to control the discharge path to which an article placed in said pocket is fed.

6. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism for articles as recited in claim 2, in which a blocking means is mounted in a pocket of a pocket unit.

7. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism 8. In a single to multiple file distributing mechanism as recited in'the claim 7, in which the cam control means has a portion related to each pocket, and each portion controls the related dischargepathrto which an article received in said pocket is distributed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,325 Quick Aug-29, 1922 1,747,465 Cameron Feb. 18, 1930 2,273,509 Braren Feb. 17, 1942 2,304,379 Senkbeil Dec. 8, 1942 2,650,009 Kerr Aug. 25, .1953 

